


A Chinese Restaurant, A Latecomer, and A Fortune Cookie

by pinwheel



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Blind Date, M/M, they are trying alright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25873864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinwheel/pseuds/pinwheel
Summary: Whenever that Mingyu is in a relationship, he suddenly gets an idea to set one of his friends up on a blind date. He set up all of his friends with someone already, all but Minghao.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 5
Kudos: 71





	A Chinese Restaurant, A Latecomer, and A Fortune Cookie

Minghao sighed for probably the eleventh time as he checked his watch.

_8:50 pm._

He is sure that his supposed date for the night stood him up without any prior notice.

He swirled his cup of tea out of boredom, the liquid swooshing around following the movement of his hands. A Chinese restaurant located in the middle of the city is where they are supposed to meet up. Minghao silently observed the tables around him. There were families out for dinner, friends gathering, and couples on a date. Minghao sighed, checking his watch for the umpteenth time.

_8:52 pm._

Minghao has been waiting for an hour for his date to show up. Just from the position he was in, a lone person sitting in a booth at the corner of a family restaurant was downright sad. The waiter assigned to his table has already asked him for the fifth time if he wants to order or if he still is waiting for someone.

_I don’t even know if that person will arrive soon or if he really ditched me._

Minghao checks his phone if Mingyu or his date, a guy named Junnie, messaged him about cancelling the supposed blind date. He could’ve been at home, cuddled up on his blanket while watching the current dramas while snacking on his late-night cereal. But here he is, no blanket, no cereal, and the drama he was supposed to watch probably has ended already.

Opening the messaging app on his phone, Minghao sent a message to Mingyu. A short yet meaningful message: _if that Junnie guy doesn’t show within five minutes, I am leaving and then I will kill you._

 _You’ll like him_ , Minghao recalled Mingyu’s words. _He is Wonwoo’s friend and I met him already. He is funny and good looking._

Minghao raised his eyebrows at that statement. He wasn’t sure why he considered his friend as a good judge of character as Mingyu almost gave away his personal information to a sasaeng fan of his.

Minghao met Mingyu back when the latter is still a struggling model. A rookie with a great potential. A naïve boy with no connections and has poor decision-making skills. Minghao, apparently is the only one who can see his great potential of being a model, hired him on the spot to become the ambassador of his family’s fashion house. A gamble and could’ve been a great mistake but it all worked out in the end. Mingyu had the ability to make himself look so alluring even when wearing a pair of sweatpants and a loose shirt.

Minghao never really liked any of Mingyu’s partner, from the female models to actresses, they all wanted Mingyu as a trophy and nothing more. Someone to brag about to their friends.

The aforementioned Wonwoo is Mingyu’s boyfriend of six months with only three breakups so far. Wonwoo is a model for another fashion house and Mingyu’s first ever boyfriend and partner that went pass the 3-month average that Mingyu’s relationship usually last.

Whenever that Mingyu is in a relationship, he suddenly gets an idea to set one of his friends up on a blind date. He thinks that if he gets to be with someone then his friends should have someone too.

The most laughable part is that Mingyu is actually great in picking his friend’s partners as they all ended up together. But Mingyu always ends up with someone that will break his heart. It is just this time that Minghao ran out of excuses to tell his friend as he is the only one of their friend circle without a partner and is not yet a subject of Mingyu’s matchmaking ruse.

Minghao bit his lip. He knows that Mingyu means well, but not everyone needs someone.

Watching the hand of his watch strike nine o’clock, Minghao began to get up to leave, wanting to go home and take a rest.

“Are you Minghao?” a guy who approached his table, seemingly out of breath, asked.

“Yes,” Minghao nods at the question, sitting back down on his chair as he eyed the newcomer. He gestured at the chair across from him. “So that means you are Wen Junnie?”

He quickly observed the Junnie guy, taking note that he is kind of brash as he pulled the chair for himself and almost knocking off the tissue holder but somehow looks nice in doing so.

The guy in front of him chuckled as he sits, making himself comfortable before answering Minghao’s question. “Wen Junhui, actually. Junnie is just a nickname from my closest friends.”

Minghao winces at that, noticing the underlying message from Junhui’s answer. _I don’t know who you are so why are you calling me by a nickname from my closest friends?_ It’s not Minghao’s fault for not knowing that fact, after all, he can only recall Mingyu babbling about a Junnie.

“Were you leaving already?” Junhui asked him with a raised eyebrow, his hand raised to beckon a waiter on their table.

“No,” Minghao lied quickly, too quickly for his liking. “I was just going to go to the restroom.”

“Well, you can go if you want,” Junhui said as he glanced at Minghao. “You were probably here for a while, so you must’ve held it in. Many people have the habit of holding their pee and it actually has adverse effects on their bodies like urinary infections and kidney stones.”

Minghao doesn’t know what blind-date god did he piss off as the guy across from him that continued to ramble about _the adverse effects of holding your pee_. The newly arrived waiter who heard a portion of Junhui’s lecture couldn’t help himself to stare at Junhui weirdly. The waiter looked at Minghao as if to ask him if Junhui is the guy he waited for an hour for.

“It’s alright,” Minghao cuts Junhui’s rambling off, wanting to cut off his humiliation. He didn’t sign up for this. “I don’t need to anymore.”

The moment Minghao said that, he really wished that he really did though. At least he could’ve have used the time to himself and deliberate if he can escape through a bathroom window or ask the waiters if they have a backdoor. Minghao knew that it was bad for him to think about those kinds of things and that he should probably give Junhui a chance, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Are you sure?” Junhui grabbed a menu for himself. “I can wait for you. I mean, you won’t be out for too long right?”

Minghao forces a tight smile at his date as he slowly opens the menu in front of him. “I’m sure. Don’t worry about it.”

At that moment, it is decided. Minghao is going to hunt Mingyu. His best friend might be right about his date being good looking however it doesn’t make up for the fact that the guy is tactless. Minghao shouldn’t have agreed to this date and should’ve pulled the I am busy card on Mingyu as he always does.

Minghao then hears someone clear his throat, sounding like someone choking on a fishbone, he then realizes that it is Junhui trying to get his attention. “Are you alright?” Minghao asked, noticing that Junhui managed to grab the attention of the nearby tables with his dying walrus impersonation.

“I’m alright.”

 _Thank God he stopped. This is the worst 5 minutes of my life._ Minghao thought.

“Sorry for being late. I didn’t expect the traffic in this area.”

Junhui was lying at that statement. His apartment is only a couple of blocks away and he walked on the way here. The only traffic he encountered was in the stairs of his apartment building. Junhui can easily take the elevator but he wanted to stall his date by using the stairs. But then he didn’t expect that there are a lot of people using the stairs of their apartment building for some reason.

“It’s alright,” Minghao said curtly, though he wished that Junhui had Mingyu to inform him that Junhui will be late. Minghao picked up his cup to take a sip. “Unexpected things happen all the time.”

Minghao knew that Junhui lives a few minutes away from the restaurant after Mingyu let it slip when he was informed about their meeting place.

_Oh! That restaurant is actually near Junhui hyung’s apartment. Maybe you guys can go there after your date._

Minghao can still remember how Mingyu winked at him after stating that while suggestively wiggling his eyebrows. He still wants to shave the latter’s eyebrows after witnessing that horrible eyebrow performance.

“Can this get anymore awkward?” Junhui mumbles underneath his breath. “I feel like I’m on a date with a brick.”

Minghao’s left eye twitches as he heard what Junhui mumbled. He looks up to the guy in front of him who’s still reading the menu. “I’m sorry. Are you saying something?”

He can see how Junhui tensed, his eyes widening slightly as he stopped flipping through the menu.

“Uhh, I was just saying,” Junhui cleared his throat, looking at the person in front of him who’s probably gauging how well he can lie. “I was just saying how sorry I am for being late.”

“You already said that,” Minghao smiled, watching Junhui wince. Gotcha. “I see how apologetic you are for being an hour late.”

Minghao felt smug. He knew that Junhui knows Minghao heard what he mumbled earlier, judging how red Junhui’s ears are.

“I really am sorry. I heard from Wonwoo that you are like some big shot corporate person and thought that you would be fashionably late.”

Minghao’s grip on his menu is tightened. One thing he hates the most is a person who believes in being fashionably late. There are a lot of things that can be done in a few minutes of being late, a lot of opportunities lost because of being _fashionably late._

“I like being on time. On arriving before the stated time to make sure the person I’m meeting won’t wait for too long.” Minghao stopped reading the menu, looking directly at Junhui’s eyes, taking in the satisfaction of making the man gulp. “Making such assumptions on a person you just met is dangerous. Didn’t you know that?”

Minghao wishes that he went to the restroom earlier. Maybe they could’ve avoided the conversation they just had. Or maybe, Minghao can get out of the bathroom window, escaping the hell of a date. For sure, the waiter assigned to their table will be very willing to escort him in through the backdoor as he is a witness of how horrible Minghao’s blind date has been.

Now, there’s only awkward silence between the both of them.

Awkward silences are usually a part of a date, especially blind dates. It is when the participants of the date weigh in if they will go far with the person they are on a date with. Whether they think it will be worth it or not, they still have to go through the whole date. Sometimes, the awkward silence will be broken by a remark, making both people more comfortable.

However, each remark made on Minghao and Junhui’s date made the atmosphere more awkward and tense. Now, the tension is so thick Minghao is sure that even Mingyu and his weirdly humungous butcher knife can’t cut it.

Minghao focused on the opened menu in front of him. He knows what he will order as he entertained himself earlier by searching the restaurant online and reading the recommended dishes served. Feeling his stomach grumble, he decided to wait for Junhui to choose something from the menu.

What Minghao didn’t know is that Junhui went to the same Chinese restaurant twice every month. He knows the delicacies served in this restaurant and that he has a list memorized of the dishes that is almost the same as the one served in China. He was just waiting for Minghao to choose something as he is starving already.

In the end, the both of them were just waiting for each other to pick something to eat. Of course, neither of them knew that the other is waiting for them, so they were just sitting there, staring at the menu, silently observing the other.

The long-forgotten waiter cleared his throat reminding the two customers that he is still there. And that he is currently watching them steal peeks at each other. The waiter shook his head. They are incredulous.

“Are you guys ready to order? Or should I come back after a few minutes?”

Minghao and Junhui both turned to look at the waiter. “I’m ready to order. I’m just waiting for him,” they answered simultaneously.

“Oh.”

The waiter just continued to smile at both of them. _I am not getting paid enough for this._ “Well then, what could I get the both of you?”

“I’ll have the shrimp fried rice with sweet and sour pork and fried noodles,” Junhui said told the waiter who quickly wrote his order down. It is his usual order every time he eats at the restaurant.

“Shredded beef with garlic sauce and broccoli for me. Can you add congyoubing with that?” Minghao closed his menu. Seeing the waiter nod at his question, he confirmed that that will be all for him.

The waiter wrote their orders at an amazing speed and then grabbed their respective menu. “Your orders will be ready in ten minutes,” he smiled before briskly walking away from the table.

As Minghao and Junhui were left at the table with no menu to distract themselves with, they were just staring at everything except at each other.

_Nothing has changed since he came here. I am still staring at the table napkins._

They then took turns opening their mouths, wanting to say something to the person in front of them, only to close it before assuring the other that it is nothing.

“So,” Fed up with the both of them looking like a pair of goldfish in the restaurant’s aquarium, Minghao attempts to break the silence between them. “What do you do Junhui?”

The mentioned man seemed grateful that he won’t need to think of an icebreaker as Minghao looked a little pissed off with his quips earlier. “I actually work at a department store nearby. I am assigned on the clothing section.” Noticing that Minghao eyebrows perked up at the mention of clothes, Junhui told him that it is nothing big and how boring it is.

“Tell me more about that.” Minghao leaned in, his full attention focused on Junhui. He can get information from Junhui that he can probably incorporate into a collection that they will release in the future as their company want to venture more in ready-to-wear clothing.

“There’s nothing interesting about it, really,” Junhui chuckled, barely noticing that Minghao’s interest peaked when he mentioned about his job in the clothing department. “I really don’t get the hype about clothes, especially those branded ones. I mean, is there a need to wear those branded ones that cost millions of won if the purpose is the same as the one I can buy for a cheaper price?”

Minghao frowned.

Junhui stopped his rambling when he noticed the sudden shift at Minghao’s mood. Attempting to salvage their conversation, Junhui asked Minghao about his work.

“I am a fashion designer at Xu Corporation.”

“Oh,” Junhui bit his lip, unsure on what he should do next.

“I heard that, it’s like one of the trendy brands nowadays,” Junhui tried to appease Minghao. “Well, that is based on what I heard from the customers.”

“Really?” Minghao asked, his eyes narrow searching for any signs that Junhui is lying. Searching for more reasons to add on his list of why he hates the guy. Minghao needs it to be convincing enough for Mingyu.

Junhui felt glad that he managed to make Minghao feel better. It is not like he is lying. He really did have some customers talking about the infamous Xu Corporation. Their customers are asking them if they know clothes that has the same style as the latest release of Xu Corporation for a cheaper price. Of course, Junhui can’t tell Minghao about that. He can’t risk making the other mad at him.

“Yes, they are looking for your brand especially your latest release?”

“That is nice to hear,” Minghao’s face brighten, his cheekbones becoming more prominent, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “Some of the main pieces of the ready-to-wear line were designed by me.”

“That’s amazing.”

Junhui was… He didn’t know any word how to described what he’s feeling. Maybe Wonwoo was right when he said that Minghao will be a good person for Junhui to know, as a friend or as a lover. This is the first time that Junhui looked at the features of the man in front of him. It amazes Junhui how the person in front him transformed from looking like he wanted to commit a murder right there and then into someone who looks like a saint. Just white a smile, Minghao managed to make Wen Junhui feel butterflies in his stomach.

“It is, isn’t it? I am thinking of a way to make the clothes be wearable on the streets for an everyday look without losing the trademark clean cut look of the Xu,” Minghao pursed his lips, Junhui’s eyes where drawn to his pinkish red lips. “But I have to work harder to convince the elders to let me release something like that.”

Junhui’s brain went to overdrive. Minghao’s looking way too adorable that it’s doing things to Junhui’s heart. The heart that is currently beating way too fast against his ribcage. Junhui is worried that it might get out, run towards Minghao, and serenade him. Aside for being too gore, that’s got to be the weirdest shit Junhui thought of.

“I’m sorry, am I boring you with the whole work talk?” Minghao asked, noticing that his date has been way too silent for too long. He always gets carried away whenever someone talks about his designs, his entire life revolves around his work.

“Ah, what, no. No. Nu uh,” Junhui stammered tongue tied as dozens, no, hundreds of million thought run through his mind.

_Who is this person? Why am I getting tongue tied just because of a pout? Why is my heart beating so fast for someone I just met? Wen Junhui, get a grip._

“Junhui, are you alright?” Minghao asked, looking concerned, and it is not helping Junhui’s condition. “Why is your face flushed?” Minghao leaned in closer to get a proper look at Junhui. “Are you sick?”

“Uhhh,” Junhui thinks of any excuse that he can use. Any excuse that would get Minghao stop leaning towards him. Junhui’s brain comes up with nothing and all he can do is flail his hands in front of him.

Only for him to knock the teapot that sit innocuously on the edge of their table. There are two outcomes of Junhui being the clumsy dumbass he is. The relatively good outcome is that the teapot didn’t get knocked _off_ the table so nothing is broken and there is nothing he needs to pay for (except for his food). The second outcome is a bad one, a very bad one. The lid of the teapot rolled of to the center of the table which let the remaining tea to run off to the table. Run off to the edge of the table and towards Minghao.

It seems like everything is happening way too fast for Minghao’s brain to comprehend. Or maybe he has slow reflexes. Either way, the tea ran way too fast towards his side and the next thing Minghao knows is that there is a burning sensation on his lap.

One fact about Minghao is that he likes hot stuff, the hot cocoa in the winter, the steam of freshly cooked ramyeon, the coffee his assistant brings every morning, but he has low tolerance of heat on his skin. Minghao doesn’t take hot showers because his skin gets burned easily.

Minghao stood up from the table, nearly tipping his chair, his hands clenched in his sides. He lets out a deep exhale, preventing his tears to fall because the tea is so _hot_.

Junhui kept on apologizing over and over again. He can feel the stares of almost everyone in the restaurant but he couldn’t care less. This date was fucked up once again.

Junhui quickly grabbed a bunch of tissues and set it on the table, having it soak up the tea. He looks up to where Minghao was standing to hand him some tissue, only to see the latter walking away. Junhui slumped on his seat.

If ever Minghao felt like their date is going through the nice path, their brief banter at the start notwithstanding, Junhui knows that they are back to zero again. Actually, if Minghao was Junhui, he would ditch himself.

At the restroom, Minghao sat on the toilet, his pants pulled down to his knees. He took a look at his thighs which is currently bright red. Minghao sighed. He needs to buy some aloe vera gel on the way home.

Minghao quickly called Mingyu, to curse at him in setting up this date. At the third ring, Mingyu picked up seemingly out of breath. “Minghao, I told you this already. Junnie hyung is nice. I will not set you up with a douche. Or someone who will potentially murder you.”

“Are you sure about that?” Minghao winced at his now alarmingly red thighs. He then started telling Mingyu what happened in the disaster of a blind date so far.

“You know, first dates do not always go well. On our first date, Wonwoo slipped on ice and I spilled two full cups of americano on myself. But look at us now.”

“Well, not everyone is like you two. But seriously you think that there will be a second date, after all this?”

“I just know that there will be a second date.”

“Do you want me to repeat the whole story again? From me waiting for an hour for him to shop to me sitting in the bathroom waiting for my leg that is currently as red as a firetruck?”

Mingyu just laughed at him. “Minghao get out of that cubicle now because I am pretty sure that Junnie hyung is worried about you. Look, I’ll be the one to bring you to the hospital- actually no, let Junnie hyung be the one to bring you to the hospital and you will your second date already.”

“Kim Mingyu, you absolute piece of shit.” Minghao gritted looking at Mingyu’s stupid contact photo, it is a stolen picture of the other in his orange Cheeto hair phase after a horrific DIY dye job.

Upon returning to their table, Minghao didn’t only find Junhui there, there’s also a pile of tea-wet tissue. It also seems like the table theirs took pity on Junhui and gave him a bunch of tissues from their tissue holder.  
“Hey,” Minghao greeted Junhui, who’s putting all his effort in cleaning up their table.

“Minghao! You didn’t leave!”

“Of course, we both stayed this long, went through this date this far.” Minghao looked at Junhui who’s looking at him expectantly. “And I am enjoying what we’re doing except for the tea mishap.”

Minghao didn’t know what overcame him, what spirit possessed him. His hand moved towards Junhui’s head, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Junhui’s eyes widened when he felt Minghao’s hand. It triggered a bunch of feelings in Junhui that he doesn’t know how to label it. He can feel his stomach flip, his heart beating way too fast again, and his brain shutting down.

It must’ve been the same for Minghao as he quickly stopped his hands before rushing to sit on his seat then clearing his throat awkwardly.

The waiter, who took their orders earlier, walked up to their table carrying their food that still has steam rising from it. The bright smile on the waiter’s face quickly disappeared when he saw the mess on top of their table. Holding back the urge to scream at the two, he carefully set their food on a now-empty and recently-cleaned table beside theirs.

“What happened?” the waiter asked as he picked up the tea-wet tissues off the table and onto his empty tray. Taking note of the “uhm” he received from the two customers, he decided not to press them for answers anymore. After cleaning their table with a dishcloth from his back pocket, he set Junhui and Minghao’s food before them.

“I hope you enjoy.” The waiter smiled, Minghao saw how his right eye was twitching, before walking off towards the kitchen, probably to rant to his coworkers.

As soon as the waiter left, things could’ve gone awkward for Junhui and Minghao again. It was thanks to the food and their way-too-hungry stomachs that it didn’t.

The two of them got preoccupied in eating their food and with the occasional forced toothy grin whenever their eyes meet.

Upon finishing their food, the two slumped on their seats, too full to talk to each other.

“The food here is surprisingly accurate,” Minghao commented, initiating a conversation as both of them resembling goldfishes once again became to unbearable for him.

“This is like my favorite go-to restaurant whenever I feel tired to cook for myself. Thankfully this is only a walking distance from my apartment,” Junhui shared.

“Hmm, how far is your apartment from here?”

“It’s only around the block, the pastel yellow-colored building.”

“Hopefully, you won’t get into a traffic jam walking here,”

“What traffic jam?” Junhui asked Minghao that is smirking at him. Suddenly, the memories of how their date started came at him as if it were a tsunami. “Oh, yeah, a traffic jam.”

Junhui prayed that Minghao wouldn’t get mad at him. They came this far already and it is somehow nice, not counting him burning the latter’s thighs with chamomile tea.

Much opposite to what Junhui expected to happen, Minghao laughed. Junhui was so confused.

“Mingyu told me that you live near here when he was telling me the specifics of this blind date.” Minghao saw Junhui gulped, waiting for him to get mad. “It annoyed me at first, but I do kind of understand you.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I was actually about to ditch you when you first came in.”  
Junhui laughed. “We really started out at the wrong foot, didn’t we?”

“That, we did.”

Upon paying the bills, Minghao and Junhui got handed a piece of fortune cookie. Minghao glared at it and at the waiter who placed it in front of him.

“I don’t understand why they keep on handing out fortune cookies in Chinese restaurants.”

“Hm?”

“Fortune cookies are not exactly from China or a part of Chinese culture. It’s just popularized in America and evidence point that it might have come from Japan.”

The waiter sighed. “I don’t what your problem is, man. But, just take it.” The waiter smiled at him, his eye twitch was worse than the one before. “Who knows? It might give you a piece of advice.”

“Fine.” Minghao glared at the waiter, getting a fortune cookie and was about to crack it open with one hand before Junhui stopped him.

“Minghao, you have to open it using both hands.” Junhui mimed opening a cookie using both hands.

“I do?”

“Yes. There are instructions about it, you know.”

“Wait. You believe in this stuff?” Minghao asked incredulously before facing Junhui and, woah, his face is so close.

“Not really. But it is fun.”

“Alright.” Minghao cracked open the fortune cookie, pulling out the strip of paper lodged inside.

“So, what does it say?” Junhui asked as Minghao read his fortune.

Minghao smiled, pocketing the small piece of paper before eating the cookie in his hands. “Nothing much.” Looking at Junhui who seems putout in not knowing what was written on the piece of paper. “Junhui.”

“Yes?”

“Are you free next Saturday?”

“I think so. Yeah.”

“How about we meet here again?”

“Like a date?”

Minghao hummed.

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Junhui beamed at Minghao.

It was quite heart fluttering, which is quite out of character for Minghao, it is only their first date, a blind date nonetheless.

“Let’s do things right, next time.” Minghao said, as he walked away from the smiling man, on his pocket was a piece of paper.

Second chances do come your way. Like trains, they arrive and depart regularly. Recognizing the ones that matter is the trick.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't know that the online classes at my university already started about a week ago and I missed days worth of classes so I decided to write a oneshot because I don't know how to cope.


End file.
